The Mission by Ronald Estes CIA in the Balkans

Ivan Kolev claws an opening under a barbed wire fence in a driving rain and escapes from Communist Bulgaria to Greece, and into a Greek Army ambush.

Kolev’s freedom is short-lived. After weeks of interrogation, the CIA recruits him to return to Bulgaria clandestinely on an espionage mission.

He trains physically for months in the rugged mountains of northern Greece shepherded by a tough Greek, a former guerilla fighter. Then, when proficient in the use of a pistol, map, compass and camera, he is dispatched by the CIA to Bulgaria.

Enter the world of Cold War espionage as Kolev voluntarily surrenders to the Bulgarian Intelligence Service and agrees to become a double agent, a decision that exposes him to violence and the risk of death, and one that changes his life forever.

The Mission also portrays the rarely told story of the reality of life in the CIA’s clandestine service; the dangers its operations officers face and the impact on their personal lives.